{"id":93,"date":"2012-07-10T19:25:00","date_gmt":"2012-07-10T19:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\/2012\/07\/festivals-retreats-and-immersion\/"},"modified":"2012-07-10T19:25:00","modified_gmt":"2012-07-10T19:25:00","slug":"festivals-retreats-and-immersion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\/2012\/07\/festivals-retreats-and-immersion.html","title":{"rendered":"Festivals, Retreats and Immersion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>
<\/a><\/div>\n

Today\u2019s edition of The Wild Hunt<\/a> is a speculative piece on the future of Pagan festivals. Jason Pitzl-Waters, inspired by this blog entry by ritual magician Frater Barrabbas<\/a>, wonders if despite record attendance at large festivals like Pagan Spirit Gathering and Pantheacon, perhaps the days of the Pagan festival are numbered.<\/p>\n

The argument is basically that large Pagan festivals are, well, large. They draw people from long distances who have to burn fossil fuels to get there. As people who love the Earth, we should minimize our impact on the environment. And as the impact of peak oil and climate change grows, energy prices will continue to rise making travel more and more expensive and thus making festivals less and less affordable for all of us.<\/p>\n

Therefore, Jason suggests, internet-based distance learning programs should, over time, replace large festivals as ways of holding workshops, concerts and the like.<\/p>\n

For education, I can\u2019t argue with him. If what you\u2019re looking for is knowledge, it\u2019s hard to justify travel expenses when you can get the same information sitting at your kitchen table. It won\u2019t work in all cases: I attended a workshop by Thorn Coyle on Ecstatic Ritual<\/a> that would have been impossible (or at least, significantly less meaningful) if it had been done remotely. On the other hand, the workshop I occasionally lead on Daily Spiritual Practice<\/a> follows a traditional classroom lecture and discussion format \u2013 it would probably work just fine.<\/p>\n

But I don\u2019t go to festivals for education. If I want to learn I read books, look up stuff on the internet, discuss it with friends, send e-mails and make calls to recognized experts, and then write about it here so you can critique it and I can refine it.<\/p>\n

I go to festivals and retreats for the experience. I go to leave the ordinary world behind for a few days. I go to immerse myself in the Wild and to immerse myself in Pagan culture. These experiences are refreshing, inspiring, and aside from my daily practice, probably the most important spiritual activities I do. <\/p>\n

Immersing yourself in the Wild<\/a> (I took some flak for calling it \u201cNature\u201d, which implies that urban areas aren\u2019t part of Nature) lets you unplug, reminds you of how little you really need, removes distractions and lets you repair and rebuild your connections to the Earth. <\/p>\n

For all our efforts at living our Pagan values every day, we still live in a culture whose beliefs, values and customs are very different than our own. That\u2019s why we like The Wicker Man<\/i>, despite its glaringly bad PR for Paganism. We\u2019re fascinated with the idea of living in a place where everyone is Pagan, where our rituals and celebrations are part of the common life, and where our beliefs and morals are seen as normal. The only place that happens is at Pagan festivals, which are as our rituals proclaim: \u201cbetween the worlds, beyond the bounds of time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spending a few days immersed in the Wild and immersed in Pagan culture reminds me of what things can be, if we order our lives to make them possible.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been to CMA Beltane<\/a> here in Texas, where attendance runs from 400 to 1000. I went to smaller OBOD gatherings in California in 2009<\/a> and 2010<\/a>. Last year I went to the OBOD East Coast Gathering<\/a> in Pennsylvania and I\u2019m going back in September<\/a>. Yes, they\u2019re educational and yes, they\u2019re social, but mainly they\u2019re restorative and inspirational.<\/p>\n

My travel budget may be larger than the average Pagan\u2019s but it\u2019s not unlimited. I\u2019ve yet to go to PSG or Pantheacon. If fuel prices continue to rise (and I see no reason to think they won\u2019t) travel will become more expensive. But even if I have to make cuts elsewhere, I intend to continue to travel \u2013 general travel and especially travel to festivals and retreats.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no other way to get the experience of immersion.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today\u2019s edition of The Wild Hunt is a speculative piece on the future of Pagan festivals. Jason Pitzl-Waters, inspired by this blog entry by ritual magician Frater Barrabbas, wonders if despite record attendance at large festivals like Pagan Spirit Gathering and Pantheacon, perhaps the days of the Pagan festival are numbered. The argument is basically […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1129,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-93","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nFestivals, Retreats and Immersion<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Today\u2019s edition of The Wild Hunt is a speculative piece on the future of Pagan festivals. 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